Roll feed mechanism



Oct. 16, 1962 c. PETERSON ROLL FEED MECHANISM w l li' 2%??? Filed July5, 1960 WW ll 1 INVENTOR.

CARL PETERSON I ATTo-"EY FIG.2

United States Patent ()fi 3,53,541 Patented Oct. 16, 1962 ice 3,958,641ROLL FEED MECHANISM Carl Peterson, Harrington, RI. (9 Warren Ave., EastProvidence, Rd.) Filed July 5, 1960, Ser. No. 40,875 4 Claims. (Cl.226-140) My present invention relates to feed mechanisms for stampingpresses and similar machines and more particularly to a simplified feedmechanism designed for a fixed feeding increment.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a roll feedmechanism which eliminates many moving parts and permits the feeding ofstock at high speed with great accuracy.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a roll feedmechanism synchronous to the stamping die for each particular job.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a roll feedmechanism which is simple in construction and easy and economical toassemble.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a high speedroll feed mechanism which eliminates the need for brakes.

With the above and other objects and advantageous features in View myinvention consists of a novel arrangement of parts more fully disclosedin the detailed description following in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings and more particularly defined in the appendedclaims.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a roll feed mechanism embodying myinvention.

FIG. 2 is a side elevation of the feed roll partly in section.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a modified form of feed roll.

Stock is usually fed to a stamping press or similar device by a pair ofvertically mounted rollers geared to each other with the bottom rollerbeing driven intermittently.

An indexing mechanism is mounted at the end of the shaft of the bottomroller and driven by an arm eccentrically mounted on the fly wheel ofthe press. The indexing mechanism drive is adjustable for the length ofthe feed for each job. Recent developments in press manufacture haveproduced presses which operate in the range of a thousand or morerevolutions per minute. Such high speeds place a great deal of strain onthe moving parts. The applicant has found that many jobs require a greatdeal of Work from particular dies. The present invention is thereforedesigned to eliminate the indexing and eccentric drive mechanism and todesign the roller feed itself to the particular job, making it interchangeable with the die. This also eliminates a great deal of timenow consumed in setting up the press.

Referring more in detail to the drawings, the mechanism is mounted onthe press lit and comprises the conventional roll feed frame. Thisconsists of a heavy base 11 having spaced vertical slotted supports 12surmounted by a horizontal cover member 13. As in the conventionalmechanisms, a bottom roller 14 is mounted on a shaft 15 which extendsthrough the slotted portions of the members 12. Mounted above the roller14 is a second roller 16 mounted on a shaft 17 which also extends intothe slotted portions of the members 12. A heavy adjustable spring 18 ispositioned in each slotted portion above the bearing of the upper roller16 to adjustably force the upper roller 16 against the lower roller 14.At one end the shafts 15 and 17 are connected by gears in a gear box 19.

With the above construction the material is fed between the rollers 14and 16. In the conventional drive mechanisms an indexing or fiictionfeed device is mounted at the end in the shaft 15 for providing anintermittent feed. However, in accordance with the present invention theshaft 15 is driven through a sprocket wheel 20 and sprocket chain 21which extends to a sprocket wheel 22 mounted in the center of the pressdrive shaft. The sprocket wheels 20 and 22 are of the same size so thatthere is a 1-1 ratio between them. With this construction eachrevolution of the press drive shaft produces one stroke of the press andalso produces one revolution of the rollers 14- and 16.

Since the rollers 14 and 16 are now hooked directly to the press drivethey will not operate intermittently but will produce a constant speedrotation with the press drive. The intermittent feed of the stock isprovided by constructing the upper roller 16 as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.The roller 16 is milled out at 23 to a depth of approximately twice thethickness of the stock being fed. The longitudinal width of the milledout portion 23, parallel to the axis of the roller 16, is greater thanthe width of the stock being fed. The arcuate length of the milled outportion 23 around the perimeter of the roller 16 is governed by thelength of stock fed under the die on each stroke. For example, viewingFIG. 2, the directions of rotation of the rollers 14 and 16 are suchthat the stock will be moved from right to left. In FIG. 2 the rollers14 and 16 are positioned at a point 24 where the roller 16 is unmilled.Further rotation of the rollers will therefore produce a positive stockfeed until the point 25 is reached. At this point the milled portion 23releases the pressure on the stock and there is no further stock feeduntil the point 24 again engages the stock. Therefore, viewing FIG. 2the length of the feed is equivalent to the circumferential measurementof the unmilled portion.

At high speeds there will be a certain amount of inertia in the stock.It will therefore be necessary to test the roller 16 and to increase thelength of the unmilled area 23 to compensate for the inertia. Also, toprevent marking of the stock, the line between the milled and unmilledportions at the point 24 should be gradual and rounded whereas the lineat the point 25 may be an abrupt drop. With this construction the roller16 is thus constructed to produce a fixed length of feed for aparticular die. Similar rollers can be constructed for each die. Thuswhen the work is completed and the die is removed, the roller 16 isremoved with it. In setting up the job the die and its roller 16 areinserted together and no further adjustment is necessary to produce theproper feed. For synchronizing the roller feed with the die thesprockets 20 or 22 may be loosened and turned.

The above construction has one other great advantage. With theconventional lever arm the stock feed is limited to a maximum rotationof degrees of rotation of the rollers. With the present construction themaximum feed is only limited by the width of the milled portion 23. Thiscan be made short enough to permit the point 24- to start feeding assoon as the die punches clear the stock on their upward stroke. Agreatly increased stock feed can thus be effected without increasing thediameter of the feed rolls. This construction also permits high speedoperation without strain since eccentric and intermittent movements areeliminated.

In producing the roller 16 the width of the milled portion 23 iscritical for great accuracy. It will have to be tested, removed, milledagain and retested until it is accurate. To avoid this, the roller 16may be made adjustable as shown in FIG. 3. In this form the adjustableroller is mounted on a shaft 25 which is equivalent to the shaft 17. Theroller is split in two at 27 at right angles to the shaft 25. Each splitportion 28 and 29 is then split radially at 30 and 31. A screw 32extends into the portion 28 adjacent one end, bridging the split portion30. A similar screw 33 extends through the portion 29 adjacent the otherend. Tightening of the screws 32 and 33 pulls the split portions 39 and31 together to lock the portions 28 and 29 of the roller t0 the shaft26. The roller is milled in a manner similar to the roller 16 with themilled portion extending acorss the portions 28 and 29. This milling isproduced as nearly accurate as possible for the desired feed length andpossibly a little longer. If during the test it is found that the milledportion is too long and it is desired to lengthen the feed, the screw 32is loosened and the portion 28 is rotated relative to the portion 29 andlocked into the position shown in FIG. 3. The amount of rotation shownin this figure is exaggerated as it will usually amount to only a smallfraction of an inch. As a result, the points between which the stockwill be unfed has been reduced to the distance between the lower edge ofthe milled portion of the portion 29 and the upper edge 35 of the milledportion of the portion 28. This is less than the full width of themilled portion. It is true that with this construction for a shortdistance the stock will be fed by only one half of the roller. However,this will make little or no difference in the feed. The eonstructionshown in FIG. 3 therefore provides a fine adjustment which can be madeafter the roller is mounted in its frame.

The feed of the present invention thus eliminates many of the movingparts necessary in an intermittent feed and permits smooth high speedoperation. While it is contemplated that the rollers 16 be constructedfor dies which are frequently used for long runs, they can of course beused in any type of stamping operations. The illustrated drive shows asprocket and chain arrangement. However, this can obviously be replacedwith any other suitable drive such as belt and pulley or shaft and worm.Other advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent to aperson skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. An intermittent feed for a power press or the like comprising arectangular frame, a lower roller mounted on a shaft horizontally insaid frame, an upper roller mounted on a shaft horizontally in saidframe, said shafts having interlocking gears at one end thereof, meansfor adjustably forcing said upper roller against said lower roller, saidupper roller having a generally rectangular area depressed from thesurface of said roller and defining a non-feeding portion, and means forrotating said rollers in response to the rotation of the press driveshaft, said upper roller being transversely split to form a pair ofroller portions, each roller portion being longitudinally slotted to itscenter and having an adjustment screw passing through said slot to locksaid roller portions to said upper roller shaft to permit adjustment ofsaid roller portions with relation to each other.

2. An intermittent feed for a power press or the like comprising arectangular frame, a lower roller mounted on a shaft horizontally insaid frame, an upper roller mounted on a shaft horizontally in sm'dframe, said shafts having interlocking gears at one end thereof, meansfor adjustably forcing said upper roller against said lower roller, saidupper roller having a generally rectangular area depressed from thesurface of said roller and defining a non-feeding portion, said portionhaving a depth of approximately twice the thickness of the stock beingfed, and means for rotating said rollers in response to the rotation ofthe press drive shaft, said upper roller being transversely split toform a pair of roller portions, each roller portion being longitudinallyslotted to its center and having an adjustment screw passing throughsaid slot to lock said roller portions to said upper roller shaft topermit adjustment of said roller portions with relation to each other.

3. An intermittent feed for a power press or the like comprising arectangular frame, a lower roller mounted on a shaft horizontally insaid frame, an upper roller mounted on a shaft horizontally in saidframe, said shafts having interlocking gears at one end thereof, meansfor adjustably forcing said upper roller against said lower roller, saidupper roller having a generally rectangular area depressed from thesurface of said roller and defining a non-feeding portion, the forwardedge of said portion having an abrupt shoulder and the rear edge of saidportion curving gradually to the surface, and means for rotating saidrollers in response to the rotation of the press drive shaft, said upperroller being transversely split to form a pair of roller portions, eachroller portion being longitudinally slotted to its center and having anadjustment screw passing through said slot to lock said roller portionsto said upper roller shaft to permit adjustment of said roller portionswith relation to each other.

4. An intermittent feed for a power press or the like comprising arectangular frame, a lower roller mounted on a shaft horizontally insaid frame, an upper roller mounted on a shaft horizontally in saidframe, said shafts having interlocking gears at one end thereof, meansfor adjustably forcing said upper roller against said lower roller, saidupper roller having a generally rectangular area depressed from thesurface of said roller and defining a non-feeding portion, said portionbeing Wider than the stock being fed, said portion having a depth ofapproximately twice the thickness of the stock being fed, the forwardedge of said portion having an abrupt shoulder and the rear edge of saidportion curving gradually to the surface, and means for rotating saidrollers in response to the rotation of the press drive shaft, said upperroller being transversely split to form a pair of roller portions, eachroller portion being longitudinally slotted to its center and having anadjustment screw passing through said slot to lock said roller portionsto said upper roller shaft to permit adjustment of said roller portionswith relation to each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS309,784 Hubbard Dec. 23, 1884 345,386 Lang July 13, 1886 26,999 HuberJune 13, 1899 846,393 Buckley Mar. 5, 1907 977,720 Ellis Dec. 6, 19101,790,559 Swift Jan. 27, 1931 1,819,786 Muirhead Aug. 18, 1931 2,513,093Hagernan June 27, 1950

